Q What changes should I expect over the next 10 years on Highway 237 from Milpitas to Mountain View and Highway 101 from 880 to Palo Alto? Will carpool hours be extended? Will there be a two-lane ramp from south 101 to 87?

Thom Mayer

Sunnyvale

A Thom asked these questions a while ago, and today is a good day to tackle them, as a company called INRIX has come out with its annual nationwide congestion report. It ranks San Francisco as the third worst city in the U.S., while San Jose moved up to No. 7 from No. 13. Los Angeles, of course, was No. 1.

Traffic congestion in the U.S. has increased each month for the first three months of this year -- the first such consecutive monthly increase since 2011.

As for 237 and 101, plans call for extending toll lanes on 237 west to Highway 85 and adding toll lanes on 101 from 85 in South San Jose into San Mateo County. The 101 work could involve adding a second carpool lane, and carpool/toll hours could be extended on both 101 and 237 to 10 a.m.

There also are plans to add a second exit lane from south 101 to south 87 by the San Jose airport.

INRIX rates the worst section of road in the San Francisco area as the California Delta Highway (Highway 4) from Bailey Road to Somerville, where a six-minute drive in free-flowing traffic can take 24 minutes on a Thursday evening.

Advertisement

Other local highways on the most congested nationwide list: east I-80 from 101 to Treasure Island (No. 46), west I-580 from Cypress Street to University Avenue (No. 47), Highway 4 from Hillcrest Road to Somerville (No. 50), and 101 (No. 64) at De La Cruz Boulevard.

Q Is there any way to improve the Highway 237 to 101 north ramp or this interchange? There is often a huge backup on 237 west because 101 is backed up and 237 loses one lane just before this ramp. If we give another lane to 237 west, this would alleviate the backup.

Randy

A The VTA did look at including a new interchange on its list of road projects up for consideration over the next 30 years, but this failed to make the cut. Redesigning the interchange significantly would mean a taller structure, and there are height restrictions in place because of Moffett Field.

Q Wonder if you have any idea about what tied up traffic on East Brokaw Road and Montague Expressway last Monday? I started out at 5:30 p.m. near the San Jose airport on Brokaw, but by the time the signal changed three times without any movement, I turned north on Zanker Road.

I moved swiftly to Montague, where I sat for three signals to turn right onto Trimble Road. Nearly 90 minutes later I finally made it onto Montague and past Interstate 880 -- less than one mile. This was bad on the posterior. It was insane.

Steve Wright

Dublin

A Here's the culprit: A big truck rolled over on Old Oakland Road at Montague. causing the shutdown of multiple lanes and the horrible delay you suffered.

Q Kudos to the guy driving the big yellow flatbed tow truck at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday on Montague Expressway just south of I-880. I was planning to take the three-lane exit left for Trimble, and I had to get out of the left-most lane prior to where it widens to three lanes. %$#$@, what's this guy doing driving 14 mph with his lights on?

After I passed him, I saw he was shadowing a mother duck and what looked like 10 ducklings marching down the one-foot-wide shoulder. He was blocking for her from behind as most cars went whizzing by at 50-60 mph.

Jeff Bunce

Campbell

A Thank you, Mr. Tow Truck Man.

Q I see signs on Silicon Valley Boulevard in San Jose saying some kind of work is happening. Do you know what they're doing? I sure hope they're repaving it. It's one of the worst roads I've had the displeasure to drive.

Karl Schilling

San Jose

A Repaving is coming and should finish by mid-May between Eden Park Place and 101.